Lisa's WDW Christmas Week Trip Recap - 108 The Disney Exchange

The Disney Exchange is Lisa, Dave and me, Nick!

All photos this week are courtesy of Lisa Green.

A smoooooth start to the first episode of 2017 awaits you lucky listeners.

Lisa thanks some very lovely people for wonderful reviews on social media. Thank you all!

We are some people's favorite Disney podcast. Please don't let them know there are other Disney Podcasts. Shhhhhh.

We're charismatic. So there!

We discuss the Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 preview, and talk briefly about Rogue One. Possible spoiler alert!
I mess up all sorts of stuff, such as the Rogue One droid's name, which is K-2SO, and call Baymax from Big Hero Six Betamax. Yes, Betamax. Oops.

Lisa goes on to share highlights and lowlights from her trip to Walt Disney World during Christmas week.

She shares her experience with the new-ish Express Bus service between parks was well worth the price of $24 per day.

 Her Bay Lake view at Bay Lake Tower was spectacular!

Lisa was not overly impressed with the Wild Africa Trek, and talks about her experiences, good and bad.

Lisa got to meet friends, Carmen and Brian aka Peas and Carrots on YouTube.

The Candlelight Processional, with special Cal Ripken Jr. She got a dining package, and that worked out well.

Lisa's review of Flying Fish is not stellar. The food was very good, but her service was lackluster.

She wants her money back for the Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam dessert party. We go on to talk about the best way to get your money's worth. Hint, it involves alcoholic beverages.

Lisa and her son had a great time doing the Wilderness Explorer program at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Dave and Lisa share their thoughts on the announcement of the new opening show at the Magic Kingdom starting this month, which leads to a discussion on the new Annual Pass lines at the parks.

Dave is currently (if you are listening Sunday 1/8 in the morning) running the WDW marathon! Go Dave!

The Wheel of Distiny topic this week: What was your favorite Disney movie of 2016?

On a very serious note, the Disney Podcast community suffered the loss of one of it's own when Alan of the Enchanted Tiki Talk Podcast passed away on Christmas Eve. He leaves behind a wife, Blair and baby daughter, Grace. A GoFundMe page has been set up to collect for Grace's college fund. 
https://www.gofundme.com/college-for-normnb8s-daughter

You can send us an email at info@thedisneyexchange and reach out with show suggestions, submit Wheel of Distiny topics, or request a listener number (remember those?) on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange, Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneyexchange

If you would be so kind as to leave us a 5 star review on any of the social media sites or iTunes, we'd really appreciate it. Thank you!

And, as always, thank you for listening to The Disney Exchange!
 

What She Said...Pulling My Disney Comfort Closer

I'm publishing this article which Lisa just posted yesterday on her Living a Disney Life Blog because she has summed up how I feel about this past week pretty well. - Nick  

By Lisa Green 

This is the first post I’ve written all week – I still love you guys and I still have a lot to say about Disney and my love for all the joy and magic I find in it.  This week I’ve been distracted by a few things, not the least of which has been the hate-filled rants and incredibly vicious attacks I’ve seen all over social media related to our American democracy and the process of electing the people who govern our country.

Pulling My Disney Comfort Closer

I treasure my own freedom of speech and believe we are entitled to speak our minds.  I love a good debate between open-minded adults who can argue a point without making personal attacks on those with opposing views.  If you’ve ever met me in person, you know I possess no shortage of opinions on a wide variety of topics and am never afraid to express my feelings.  I speak my mind…sometimes too quickly, sometimes too passionately, but not with the purpose of tearing down another human being intentionally.  On social media?  I choose to post family events and happenings, the occasional humorous meme, and lots of pictures of my dog, Junior. 

  

I also post a LOT about my love for Disney.  It’s not that I don’t have strong feelings about religion or politics, I’m simply choosy about when and where I express those particular opinions and with whom I’d like to debate them.  I believe one should never email, text, or post on social media anything one would not say face-to-face – hiding behind an online identity to be hateful is the sign of a coward.

 I didn’t unfriend or unfollow a single person, but I was shocked and dismayed by what I read on Wednesday morning.  I’m not a person with delicate sensibilities, but the vitriol!  The utter disdain for fellow citizens and their right to their own beliefs and decisions was shocking to me!  Complete strangers hurling horrific insults at one another, spewing poison with no respect, no compassion, and no reason!  And what purpose did it serve?  Why would anyone want to show the world the very worst version of themselves they have to offer?  Is that who they really are?  If so, then we do indeed need to fear for the future of America – her citizens have chosen anger and hate over respect, tolerance, and love.

Then I figured out why I was so surprised.  Remember this post about the Disney fan community?  I follow (and am followed by) thousands of fellow Disney fans on social media.  Overwhelmingly nice people in general who are brought together by their passion for Disney vacations, movies, characters, collectibles, and more.  Some are fellow bloggers and podcasters, all are very geeky about Disney.  The ugliness on social media was not coming from these people.  They were, like me, disgusted enough to politely ask, “Why can’t we all get along?” before taking a break from Facebook and Twitter to ride out the election aftermath watching movies or planning a vacation.  Once again, I am reminded how special my Disney friends are and how much I appreciate being part of such a loving group of humans.

I’ll be back next week with more Disney topics to share – in the meantime, thanks for reading and have a great weekend.

Lisa can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast! Our 100th Episode comes out tomorrow!

Chapel Hats Disney Springs

If you have not been to Disney Springs recently and are going soon, you are in for a treat! This article by Lisa is over a year old, and the construction walls she mentions in the first sentence are mostly down, but I wanted to share this because it conveys wonderfully the experience of going to the newly imagined Downtown Disney. It has become a destination in and of itself! - Nick

 By Lisa Green 

Construction walls may still be up all around, but excitement is in the air as Downtown Disney’s transformation into Disney Springs is well underway.  New stores are springing up while old favorites continue to thrive.  We recently spent a very enjoyable evening in Downtown Disney/Disney Springs and there’s a new shop I’ve just got to tell you about!

After a leisurely dinner at one of our most favorite dining locations in the World, Raglan Road, we decided to take our time walking back to the bus stop.  Okay, that’s a lie.  We had to walk slowly on account of being inordinately stuffed from the appetizer, salad, entrées, and desserts we’d just consumed.  My only excuse for overindulgence is that watching those famous Irish Dancers burn off all those calories makes me hungry.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  Anyway, we were strolling along and noticed a new shop had opened that we both wanted to explore!

I know, right?  What are the chances that Raymond and I both wanted to shop in the very same store when it’s not full of Disney merchandise?  It just so happens that we are both wild about hats!  The new Chapel Hat store was irresistible.  We waddled on inside and stayed for quite a visit.

Simple and well-stocked, Chapel hats is easy to shop – it’s like a gigantic closet of hats! 

Shelves and shelves stacked high with just about any and every style imaginable.  Men’s hats on the left and women’s on the right with the checkout counter in the middle, Chapel Hats is a lid-lover’s dream come true. 

Charmed by the variety of hats ranging in style from whimsical to utilitarian, we made use of the shop’s many mirrors…and had a ball!

 

What started out as a fun diversion soon became a serious quest for the perfect hat for each of us.  We enjoyed picking out different styles for each other to try. 

We took turns modeling different types and colors, narrowing our selection down to the two or three we liked the best then helping each other decide on the ONE.  No matter what kind of chapeau you prefer, Chapel Hats has a topper for you!  After about 30 minutes of fun, we purchased our selections.  Shopping bag in hand, we made our way to the buses and on to the Magic Kingdom for Wishes and the Main Street Electrical Parade.  A perfect souvenir for a truly magical day, our new hats will be a happy reminder of a great Disney vacation for years to come.

Are you much of a hat wearer?  Be sure to check out Chapel Hats on your next visit to Downtown Disney/Disney Springs!  Chapel Hats on the web.

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.

She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Dearest Disney Cast Member

 

 

By Lisa Green 

 

Disney Cast Members are one of the most important aspects of any Disney vacation!  In Disney stores, theme parks, resorts, restaurants, and on cruise ships, every individual employee makes a contribution to our overall vacation experience.  After 25 years of Disney vacations, here’s what I’d like them to know.

Dear Disney Cast Member:

We know your job is difficult.  Your employer expects you to be “on stage” when in the public eye and you deal with all kinds of people from all over the world.  At times there must be a tremendous amount of pressure.  The Disney brand of service is legendary and because of that, we’re expecting you to deliver.

We’ve watched you struggle and want you to know we’d help if we could.  We’ve seen people be rude to you.  We’ve seen the mean, angry, and overbearing guests that treat you poorly and hold you responsible for things beyond your control.  Being the face of the Disney Company does come with its challenges, but we want you to hang in there!  Please don’t let a few bad apples make you guarded or spoil your ability to be kind and sincere to the next group of guests to come along.

You make a bigger difference than you’ll ever know.  It’s common among us Disney fans to discuss how a Cast Member can make or break a vacation.  Simple things like a smile and eye contact, a little understanding, a happy conversation, sharing just a little pixie dust or Disney history – you never know when you, by the simplest action, remind guests that the Disney magic is alive and well.  When you’re less than magical?  We tend to notice more than when we’re outside the Disney Bubble.  Service recovery when something goes wrong may be the most difficult skill for you to master, but it’s vitally important to Disney guests who may have saved for years to afford a visit to your place of employment.

 

We love it when you do the unexpected!  Those spontaneous magical moments make the best memories!  Yes, we love it when we get great pictures of our little ones with characters, but there are so many other times when a Disney Cast Member made our vacation extra special!  Servers in restaurants, front desk attendants, employees in shops, bus drivers, boat captains, and even Cast Members pushing brooms – every one of you that goes beyond the expected to add a little extra fun and happiness…YOU are the reason we keep coming back!

We remember you long after our vacation is over.  Don’t underestimate the impact you have on our future plans.  We make restaurant reservations because the food AND service were excellent.  We look for you again and may even ask for you on our next Disney cruise.  You become intertwined in our memories of some of the happiest times our family has ever had and we’re counting on you to do it again every time we choose to visit.

Thank you Disney Cast Members for all the magical moments through the years!  Our vacations certainly wouldn’t be as wonderful without you.

Note to readers:  If a Disney Cast member has made a difference to your vacation through good service, kindness, or a little extra pixie dust, please let the Disney Company know about it.  Those post-vacation surveys we receive by email are a great place to praise employees that were especially helpful or kind.  If, unfortunately, you had a bad experience, please let the Disney Company know that as well.  They really do count on guest feedback to continue to offer the service we expect.  Thank you. 

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.

She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Are You a Disney Geek?

By Lisa Green  

We go by many names – Disney Geek, Disney Nerd, Disney Maniac even – but we all have one thing in common:  Disney is more to us than a man, a theme park, or a movie-making company.  Disney is a way of life.  We are the Disney-addicted and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Are you a Disney Geek?  Take this quiz to find out.  Give yourself one point for every true statement.

1. You have a Disney vacation planned.
2. You’re using a countdown calendar or app to keep track of the number of days until that vacation.
3. You have a Disney collection of some sort (pins, vinylmation, figurines, etc.). 
4.  Your car shows off your DisneySide with an antenna-topper, magnet, or window cling.
5. You are wearing a something Disney-related right now.
6. You have at least one framed Disney picture hanging in your home.
7. You listen to a Disney playlist while working out or cleaning house.
8. You have ever cooked a Disney restaurant recipe at home.
9. Your pet has a Disney name.
10. You know the meaning of all of the following:  FP+, MDE, ME, MM+, TOT, BTMRR, EE, TSMWM, ADR, and SSE.
11. You can say “Por favor manténganse alejado de las puertas.” perfectly and you know what it means.
12. You regularly check the Orlando weather and you don’t live in Florida.
13. Your morning coffee or tea is consumed from a Disney mug.
14. You’ve been emotional (and unashamed) on Main Street U.S.A.
15. You have cravings for Dole Whips, Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars, or Churros.
16. You have at least one Magic Band and will keep it forever.
17. You purchase at least one new Disney guide book every year.
18. You have a treasured photo of yourself (as an adult) with your favorite Disney character.
19. You read Disney blogs or listen to Disney podcasts.
20. You write for a Disney blog or host a Disney podcast.

Scoring.
5-10:  You like Disney vacations and some Disney merchandise, but you’re not obsessive.
11-15: You’re a real Disney fan and it shows!
16 or more:  You are a certified Disney addict.
Leave a comment!  What kind of Disney fan are you?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Walt Disney World's Great Waits

By Lisa Green 

A while back I touted the joys of some of Disney World’s standby lines in this post.  Today I’m going to continue that discussion.  If you don’t have a FastPass, there are plenty of rides and attractions worth waiting for – simply because the wait itself is part of the fun!  If I have to spend time in a standby line, I want that wait to be an entertaining one!

Once again, I’m using the same criteria for today’s queue selections:

• Existing ride successfully refurbished to provide a vastly better standby experience
• Brand new ride with a wildly entertaining standby line
• Not-so-new ride with an original, well-themed queue

 

 

Dumbo – Just because I couldn’t make it through the new, interactive standby line (I almost rode Dumbo once, story here) doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate how brilliant the new queue area is for families with small (or small-ish) children.  The technology is cool, the colors are bright, and there’s a variety of activities available for time-killing. I might not have cared for the experience, but for kids?  Genius!

 

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – The ride appeals to multiple senses – full of colors, it’s visually stunning, the sway of the mine train cars and the smooth ride are physically enjoyable, the sounds – both in and outside the mine – are a wonderful part of the overall experience.  The queue sets just the right mood for what’s to come.  Sort gems, spin barrels for some cool projection effects – there’s a lot to enjoy in the mine long before the train takes you off on a new adventure.

MuppetVision 3D – The queue for this area is one of my most favorite places – not just in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but in all of Walt Disney World!  I love the net full of Jello (a funny tribute to Annette Funicello) and dozens of other clever sight gags.  The pre-show “show” is full of classic Muppet jokes and bits.  If you grew up with the Muppets like I did, the queue for MuppetVision 3D takes you back to the good old days of Muppet glory!

 Which queues are your favorite?  Which would you recommend for a future standby line post?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

What's the Perfect Age For Walt Disney World

By Lisa Green  

 

 

Lots of people ask and bunches of folks have opinions about it – What is the right age to take children to Walt Disney World for the first time?  When I’m asked, my answer is always in the form of another question – How much do YOU like Disney?  That, my friends, is the most important aspect in determining what age is the right age for that all-important first trip.

SO many schools of thought!  One is: If we go when they’re too young, they won’t remember it!  That’s true!  Your kids won’t remember their first trip to Walt Disney World, but YOU will.  If you love Disney vacations, then there’s probably not a “too young” for Disney World.  You probably intend to take your children there more than once during their childhood, so the first trip is not the only visit.  That was us!  We knew when we took our children for the first time that it was only the first of many future visits.

Megan was 5 and Joseph just 13 months when we took them for their first visit – neither remember that vacation, but both love to look at the pictures of our trip and listen to Raymond and I talk about our happy memories from that time so long ago.

Next philosophy – we’re only going one time.  This category is for the parents who feel that a Walt Disney World vacation is a mandatory part of child rearing, but are faced with challenges that make repeat visits unlikely.  Not Disney haters, but perhaps not passionate Disney fans either – these parents initially plan on doing it only once, so it had better be memorable for the offspring!

  

If you’re in this category, you will indeed find it best to wait until your children are old enough to remember this once-in-a-childhood-opportunity.  Ages 7 or 8 and up will probably do it.  Old enough for retaining those happy moments and young enough to embrace (and still believe in) all the magic.

Finally, there are the parents who never intended to go at all, but now find themselves pressured into considering it.  Gasping at the cost (we feel your pain!) and researching Walt Disney World for the first time, parents in this category may be looking at the sad, beseeching faces of their children who have heard the recounting of countless thrilling tales from classmates who visit Walt Disney World regularly.Do it!  Take your children to Walt Disney World – even if they’re tweens or teens (or young adults) who don’t care about meeting characters or dressing up as a princess or pirate.  It’s not too late!  That’s the beauty of this – Every age is the perfect age for Disney World.

Which category are you in?  What age do you think is the perfect age for Disney World?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Getting Psyched for Food & Wine

When I choose articles for Saturdays with Lisa, I usually go back into her archives, but this post from her Living a Disney Life Blog from just a couple of weeks ago is too perfect, as we have been planning our trip to Walt Disney World which overlaps with Lisa's for a couple of days, and the last episode,  of  The Disney Exchange Podcast , which Lisa co-hosts with our friend Dave and me, have dealt with Food and Wine planning. - Nick

By Lisa Green


My countdown calendar finally feels like it’s moving.  The days are ticking by ahead of our long-awaited return to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.  I couldn’t be more excited!  This may only be my second visit during Food & Wine, but I feel like a seasoned veteran after our weeklong 25th Anniversary celebration at F&W in 2014.  This year we’ll be a party of seven and our plans are really shaping up.  With only two-and-a-half months to go, it feels right around the corner.  It’s Friday today and that means a Friday Five is in order.  Dear Readers, I give to you…

WDW Vacation – Getting Psyched for Food & Wine

1. Pick a week and book it! – This is the first phase of excitement.  Thinking about going changes after you know exactly when you’ll be there and where you’ll be staying – makes it real and you can set your countdown calendar!  Because I’m a planner I’m also, in this very early stage of vacation prep, starting to think about where we’d like to eat when we’re not enjoying the Food & Wine offerings.  Which brings us to… 
2. Make some ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) 180 days out – “Some” being the important key here.  I think you can over-book dining reservations which may detract from the joy of strolling around World Showcase sampling all the excellent flavors that Food & Wine has to offer.  I like to ensure plenty of festival time, so I book just few carefully chosen reservations that will leave us a plenty of free afternoons and evenings for hopping from country to country on an international culinary tour.  Once those ADRs are booked, I feel more like I know what our touring plans will be each day and that makes me even more exited!
3. Wait impatiently for the booths and menus to be announced – I’ve searched everyday for weeks and finally the kiosk and menu info is available – This is a major factor in getting psyched for the trip!  Sure, it’s fun to see what musical groups will be playing during our visit, but that’s not (for us) the primary draw.  You can print out those menus and narrow down all the food and beverage choices to the all important Top-Ten-Must-Try list (yours could be whatever number you like).  I’m not too picky, so I’m leaving room to be flexible and spontaneous in food selection.  It’s not imperative to have a list, but it sure is fun to strategize a festival food plan.  Yes, more excitement!  Check out this year’s lineup here. 
4. Book those FastPasses ASAP – If you’re staying on property, this means there are only 60 days left before your vacation!  My strategy for Epcot is all about making sure we don’t have to come and go repeatedly from World Showcase once we start our feasting.  On this trip, we’ve got one whole day reserved for Animal Kingdom and I’m excited about having breakfast at Tusker House and dinner at Tiffins…while maximizing attraction enjoyment in between.  On most of the other days, we’ll be park-hopping to keep Epcot part of the action as often as possible.      
5. Reminisce or surf the web (or both) –  I like looking back at pictures and blog posts from our last trip to Food & Wine.  I also like reading about other people’s trips as well as food reviews, booth rankings, and touring tips.  This will keep me entertained and build excitement right up until the day we leave for vacation.    Are you headed to Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival this year?  What are you doing to get psyched for the trip?

5 Underrepresented Disney Movies at Walt Disney World

This week I'm sharing an article from Lisa that is very similar to a topic we just recently discussed over on The Disney Exchange Blog, home of The Disney Exchange Podcast, which Lisa and I co-host along with Dave Hodges. - Nick

By Lisa Green 

This week while listening to my favorite Disney podcasts I heard something hilarious!  That movie about the sisters from Arendelle – you know the one – is now being referred to as “The F-Word”.  When I stopped laughing, I started thinking about the number of places that particular F-word is showing up at Walt Disney World – Don’t worry!  This is NOT another blog post about that situation. (But I did find this entertaining tidbit on Tumblr in case you’re a fan.)  It just got me thinking about the great Disney movies that have been left behind (or forgotten).  ‘Ohana, it seems, does not apply to our favorite Disney classics!
So, as usual, according to me…

Five Disney Movies Underrepresented at Walt Disney World

1. The Jungle Book – We need more Mowgli.  Over in the Animal Kingdom, in a little corner of Asia – couldn’t some small section of the park be spared for ONE Jungle Book attraction?  With the new Jungle Book being released in 2016, this would make even more sense.  Dark water ride!  Can’t you just picture it?  Oh, yeah…fantastic!

2. Alice in Wonderland – There’s the Mad Tea Party, sure, but SO much fantastic potential is wasted!  The Red Queen, Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, Alice – This could really be a fantastic little dark ride or indoor/outdoor kiddie coaster.  Even a cute spinner or something that plays on the “Eat Me” “Drink Me” size change bit.  And Absolem!  Those crazy flowers!

3. Mary Poppins – Getting better, but not quite there yet.  Several nods to Mary Poppins appear in the new DVC villas at the Grand Floridian, but I’d really love to see an attraction completely and fully dedicated to Miss Poppins, Bert, and all the movie’s best moments.  There’s room for another carousel at another park outside of Magic Kingdom.  Hello!  Penguins?

 4. The Incredibles – Zilch, zip, nada.  It’s been completely ignored. This is one of my most favorite Disney movies.  A sequel is reportedly underway!  Why?  Why can we not have some Super action – this movie BEGS to be translated into an E-ticket attraction!  Edna Mode could guide us through the adventures of our favorite Supers and their arch nemesis, Syndrome!

5. The Emperor’s New Groove – I know – most of you just groaned.  But Yzma and Kronk’s antics were the very best part of this flick and they at least deserve a little something.  A kooky, wild ride based on the “wrong lever” sequences?  You KNOW you’d love it.  Oh, and squirrels would have to be included!  Squeak, squeak squeaken squeaker.

Your turn!  Are you thinking Up?  Ratatouille? Brother Bear? Are you mad because Tangled only rated a restroom?  What about Lady and the Tramp?  Talk to me!  What movies do you think have been overlooked at Walt Disney World?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

What's So Great About the Tower of Terror in Walt Disney World?

By Lisa Green

“Hollywood, 1939. Amidst the glitz and the glitter of a bustling young movie talent at the height of its golden age, the Hollywood Tower Hotel was a star in its own right. A beacon for the show business elite. Now, something is about to happen that will change all that.” -Mark Silverman as the voice of Rod Serling, Tower of Terror Introduction

 

Disney World‘s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror…The ride that divides The Fam like no other.  Raymond and Megan really don’t care for it and will ride it one time (and one time only) during each trip to Disney World – just to be polite.  Joseph and I love it (Joseph’s all time favorite ride) – we can and will ride it again and again.  Once we even scored a surprise fast pass when we got off, so we got right back in line!

Like Rock’n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror is located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the end of Sunset Blvd.  The queue for this ride is, as Disney tends to do with newer attractions, cleverly detailed and carefully crafted to immerse you in the ride’s theme and story line long before you board the ride vehicle (in this case a seemingly innocuous service elevator).  From the winding garden paths through the overgrown greenery, past the once grand outdoor courtyards of the Hollywood Tower Hotel to the perfectly dusty and slightly sinister-looking hotel lobby, guests paying careful attention will find wonderful gems in the details.  Hidden Mickeys abound along with several nods to the Twilight Zone television series.  Even the sullen, grey- uniform-clad bellhops add to the depth of theming for this attraction.  If the day is not too warm, I find the stand-by line for this ride actually quite enjoyable, but that’s not why Joseph loves it.  The constant screaming coming from the hotel “guests” is a good clue about the real reason this ride’s a big hit with thrill-seekers like Joseph.

As you draw closer to the pre-ride intro show, you begin to feel a sense of dread.  As if the hotel lobby is emitting a warning to you.  The bellhops will guide you into the library.  Joseph describes it this way – “The feeling of impending doom is created by the cast members working at the tower and the abandoned, worn-down look of the hotel – inside and out.  Like somewhere you don’t want to be.”

The pre-ride show provides the backstory (I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s great!) after which you are led into the hotel’s basement to the service elevators.  The theming and mood-setting details continue - watch for another Hidden Mickey on the wall.  TIP: Going to the left instead of right in line is generally faster.  Once you board the elevator (you must be 40″ tall to ride and health warnings exist), fasten that seatbelt – you’re gonna need it!  The best part of this attraction is the layers of build-up to the finale.  Everything, from the first step in line, leads up to what happens in that elevator!

Continuing with the story introduced in the library, the elevator travels through several scenes before you hit the real action.  The elevator drops, shoots up, drops, and so on – riders are constantly surprised.  Random drop sequences are what keep people coming back for more.  There’s no way to predict the exact pattern of elevator movement.  When the elevator is “falling” it is actually being pushed downward – gravity alone would not be this fast.  This is VERY scary for many people – as evidenced by the screaming!!!  Joseph and I both LOVE this part – we don’t find it frightening, just incredibly fun.  The sense of weightlessness is what makes this ride so great!

Have you visited the Hollywood Tower Hotel?  What did you think?

This article was originally posted by Lisa on her Living a Disney Life-Empty Nesting with Pixie Dust Blog.